


A Christmas Tree

by Confused_Host



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Hornet is a tree today, Two gfs are making Sharpe mad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:00:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28321269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Confused_Host/pseuds/Confused_Host
Summary: “Lace,” Sharpe said slowly, carefully. “Trees don’t purr.”Lace smiled back at him, a tint of dangerous amusement in her voice. “Mmn,” she hummed. “And dead men don’t talk.”
Relationships: Hornet/Lace (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 57





	A Christmas Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on tumblr! I’m @soft-quirrel

Hornet narrowed her eyes and glared at the other bug. “ _Please_ remind me why I’m doing this.” 

Lace laughed and wrapped more green tinsel over her shawl. “To spend Christmas with me, love.” She secured the end of the strand with a pin and stepped back to admire her work. 

Hornet scowled. “ _Yes_ , but why did I  agree ?” 

Lace smiled. “ I like to think it’s because you trust me deeply enough to know that my friends won’t touch you!” 

Hornet huffed, slouching. “If they wouldn’t touch me, why am I dressed like this?” 

Lace pressed a hand to Hornet’s mask, eyes shining with worry. “You don’t have to be here. There’s still time before anyone will come by and you can leave out the window. She pressed her head against Hornet’s in a sort of kiss and pulled back to lock eyes with her girlfriend. 

Hornet cradled Lace’s head in her hands, looking guilty. “I didn’t mean it Lace, I promise. I may complain about the...” she looked down and inspected the ornaments on her cloak with obvious distaste. “... Costume, but I wouldn’t want to miss time with you.” 

Lace squealed and nuzzled Hornet. “Christmas is fun! I can’t  wait for you to experience it with me, love!” 

Hornet giggled. “Okay, you’ve got me excited.” She picked at the tinsel that was sticking to her shawl, and narrowed her eyes in confusion. “By the way, what  _is_ Christmas?”

* * *

  
The first to arrive is Shakra, easily brought inside at the prospect of treats and warmth. She does a triple take at the spider in the corner of the room and glances at Lace. 

“So,” she begins conversationally. “Why is our dearest friend Hornet here?” A pause. “And why does she look like that?” 

Lace leans against the back of the couch. “I invited her, so she’s off limits.” 

Shakra put her hands up. “Please, I wouldn’t do that, and certainly not at a party. There’s a time and place for these things.” Lace squinted at her for a moment before relaxing. 

“That’s certainly good to know,” She hummed. “As for the costume... Well, you’ll see.” 

She waved Hornet over and pressed a kiss to the side of her mask. “Talk, you two, and I’ll go get snacks.” She heard Hornet give a quiet hum of recognition and almost laughed aloud when her girlfriend immediately brought up battle tactics.

* * *

The next to arrive was Sherma, a smaller bug that Lace had met by chance. The little one had let himself in, leaving Lace to only recognize his arrival when he carefully tugged on her arm. 

“Good afternoon Ms. Lace!” He sang. 

Lace hummed. “Good afternoon Sherma.” She balanced a three plates on her arms as she spoke, careful not to drop any. “How have you been since I last saw you?” 

He smiled. “Well! I have been working on my journey and I do think I may have gotten closer to my destination.” 

Lace gasped, making her way back to the main room of her home. “Oh? How delightful! I’m glad you could take time from your quest to join us!” 

Sherma bounded forward. “Of course! I would never wish to miss something such as this!”

Lace slid the plates onto the table and glanced over at the two warriors that were still talking. She took a gingerbread cookie from a plate and handed it to Sherma. “Try,” she said, palming another.

Sherma bit into it and gasped. “Oh! Ms. Lace, these are delicious!” 

Lace grinned. “I’m glad you think so!” She closed one eye and aimed carefully at the back of her girlfriend’s head. She flicked her wrist and called, “Love! Think fast!” 

Hornet spun on her heel and swiped the cookie from midair, pausing after a moment and looking down at what she’d caught. “ _Wha_ -“ she glanced up at Lace and then down at her hand again. “What was  that for??” She huffed.

“Showing off my girlfriend’s skills in front of friends! Now,” Lace leaned forward. “How do my cookies taste?”

Hornet lifted her mask up only the slightest bit to taste the sweet and hummed. “It’s good, absolutely.” She waved the cookie in Lace’s general direction. “Points off for throwing it at me though.” 

Lace threw her head back in a cackle as Hornet turned back to her conversation with Shakra.

* * *

  
The  _real_ drama started the moment Lace opened the door for sharpe. He stepped inside, thanked Lace for the warmth, locked eyes with Hornet, and froze. Lace would admit freely to being  extremely  amused by his expression. 

“Lace,” he began, pointing at Hornet. “Why do you have the spider in your house?”

Lace waltzed over, somehow managing to look horribly smug without doing much of anything. “ _Whatever_ do you  _mean_ , Sharpe?” She asked, grabbing Hornet’s hand. “This is just my Christmas tree!” 

Lace watched with increasing amusement as Sharpe scrambled for words. “What-  _No_! ” He settled on, gesturing at the girlfriends. “ _No_! That’s not a  _tree_ , that’s the spider everyone is looking for!” He looked over at the other two guests for confirmation. “Don’t you see?”

Shakra coughed into her hand. “All I see is Lace and a tree, now-“ she snorted. “- leave me out of this.”

Sherma only shrugged and stuffed another cookie into his mouth.

Lace barely kept in her laughter. Beside her, Hornet’s shoulders shook. “ _I_ think,” Lace said slowly. “That this is the prettiest tree I’ve ever decorated, and I would be  _very_ upset if my work went to waste.” 

Sharpe grit his teeth for a moment, before stomping over and pressing a finger to Lace’s chest. “The _moment_ you admit she’s the spider, she’s fair game, got it?” 

Lace bat his hand away gently. “I’m glad we’ve reached a deal!” She hummed. She grabbed Hornet’s hand and tugged her over to the table with the cookies.

“I take back my embarrassment at wearing these decorations,” Hornet laughed. “That was  _hilarious._ ” 

Lace pressed a cookie to her girlfriend’s mask. “This is just the beginning, now we’ve made a whole  _deal_. Goodness, I can’t wait to block every loophole he thinks he’s found.”

There was a moment of silence, and Lace pressed her nose to Hornet’s. “Don’t worry about it, alright? I’ll take care of everything. I promise it’ll be funny!” 

Hornet sighed. “Well, alright. If you’re sure.” Another moment and then, “Can I kiss you?” 

Lace laughed, and pulled out a mistletoe. “It’s in the rules,” she hummed, bringing the plant just above their heads. Hornet smiled and ducked her head down to meet Lace’s.

“Why’re you kissing a  _tree_ , Lace?” Sharpe called. Lace shook the mistletoe as an answer. “Ugh. Get a room next time.”

* * *

Sharpe hadn’t stopped his attempts at having Lace refer to Hornet as herself, and the other party goers hadn’t stopped finding it funny. Lace was beginning to suspect Sharpe wasn’t even looking for an opening any longer, only wanting Lace to stop coming up with increasingly stupid excuses of why  her special tree could do something all others couldn’t.

This time, he seemed to simply be trying to rile up the spider. 

“You know,” Sharpe said, voice loud and obnoxious from across the room. “That spider is really quite annoying. I know she  thinks she can fight, but really, she trips over her own silk! Dumbass.” 

Sherma, who was the one Sharpe had chosen to pretend to talk too, gasped. “Rude! Don’t swear!” Sharpe only snorted.

Hornet growled, tensing in her spot on the sofa. From behind her, Lace pressed a hand to Hornet’s shoulder to keep her seated. “Please, my-“ she paused, locking eyes with Sharpe, who was smirking at her. “- _tree_ , don’t skewer him, he’s a guest.” 

Hornet visibly restrained herself before turning to look at her girlfriend with a snort. “You sounded like my father for a second there,” Hornet observed, very carefully avoiding looking at Sharpe.

Lace paused. “I- Sorry-  _What?_ ” She fumbled for words for another moment before settling on repeating, “ _What_??”

Hornet had relaxed in her amusement, but Lace barely noticed, too caught up in her confusion. “My father? His wife was a- well, she was a tree. His favorite name for her was ‘ _ my root _ _._ ’” 

Lace squinted in disbelief before throwing her head back in a cackle. “Did you hear  that Sharpe??” She crowed. “The- the  tree’s mother was also a tree!! There’s not a spider here!” She descended even further into laughter, doubling over and wrapping her arms around Hornet. 

Sharpe huffed at them. “Oh fuck  _off_ ,” he hissed, met with a call of, “Language!” From Sherma and Shakra, one far more amused than the other. 

Hornet giggled and pressed a kiss to her girlfriend’s temple.

* * *

Lace didn’t know how the others got roped into staying over. It may have been the snow falling outside, signalling that it was too cold for any of the others outside to leave. Perhaps it was just how late it was and the fact that curfew had likely passed. 

Whatever the reason, Sharpe, Shakra and Sherma were staying the night. While usually this wouldn’t be a problem, Lace was keeping Hornet over for the night as well. 

The spider lay in Lace’s lap as she traced circles into her mask. There was a soft rumble in Hornet’s chest, and Lave felt herself straighten with shocked excitement. 

“She’s-“ Lace whispered, cutting herself off with a soft squeal. 

“She’s  _purring_ ,” Shakra filled in, voice filled with awe as she turned from her spot in a sleeping bag.

“Hey, Lace,” Sharpe said from where he was lying. Lace hummed a response. “You know that trees don’t purr, right?” 

Lace gave him a grin, all teeth. “ _You_ know that dead men don’t talk, right?” 

Sharpe fluffed up his pillow. “... I’m just  _saying_ -“ 

For a moment, the room was quiet, other than Hornet’s purring and the soft breathing of the house’s inhabitants. Then, Sharpe spoke. “Merry Christmas everyone.” 

Lace didn’t hide her smile.

“Merry Christmas Sharpe.”


End file.
